Fall of Giants by Ken Follett

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Obtained from: Local Library

Read: July 28, 2016

It is 1911. The Coronation Day of King George V. The Williams, a Welsh coal-mining family, is linked by romance and enmity to the Fitzherberts, aristocratic coal-mine owners. Lady Maud Fitzherbert falls in love with Walter von Ulrich, a spy at the German Embassy in London. Their destiny is entangled with that of an ambitious young aide to U.S. President Woodrow Wilson and to two orphaned Russian brothers, whose plans to emigrate to America fall foul of war, conscription and revolution. In a plot of unfolding drama and intriguing complexity, Fall Of Giants moves seamlessly from Washington to St Petersburg, from the dirt and danger of a coal mine to the glittering chandeliers of a palace, from the corridors of power to the bedrooms of the mighty.

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I can't really say what kept me from picking up this behemoth when it came out, but Ken Follett's Fall of Giants never demanded my immediate attention. I stumbled over it here and there, but it wasn't until I saw the audio edition available for check out through Overdrive that I really considered tackling the title.

I wont lie, Fall of Giants is long, the story lines are unbalanced, the cast is unusually large, the characterizations are not complex, and many of the individual arcs are not satisfactorily concluded by the final page. That said, the book is not about any one person, it is about an intense period of time, a few short years that changed the course of human history, and in that light I feel the novel an indisputable success.

A fully comprehensive snapshot would be impossible to create, but Follett's representation is the next best thing. He captures the experiences of individuals from a variety of backgrounds and social standing and pairs it with the political, international, and social issues that dominated their lives. The end result is an intensely personal and multifaceted illustration of both WWI and the Russian Revolution.

Follett's work is meticulously researched, but his ability to deftly weave together the stories and experiences of five families against such a massive and immersive backdrop sets Fall of Giants apart. It's intimidating as hell to look at, but if anyone ever asked if I would endorse it, my answer would be an immediate and enthusiastic yes.

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“It was a sunny day in early summer, and he could hear birdsong. In a nearby orchard that had so far escaped shelling, apple trees were blossoming bravely. Men were the only animals that slaughtered their own kind by the million, and turned the landscape into a waste of shell craters and barbed wire. Perhaps the human race would wipe itself out completely, and leave the world to the birds and trees, Walter thought apocalyptically. Perhaps that would be for the best.”

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Days of Sun and Glory by Anna Belfrage

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: June 14, 2016

Adam de Guirande has barely survived the aftermath of Roger Mortimer’s rebellion in 1321. When Mortimer manages to escape the Tower and flee to France, anyone who has ever served Mortimer becomes a potential traitor – at least in the eyes of King Edward II and his royal chancellor, Hugh Despenser. Adam must conduct a careful balancing act to keep himself and his family alive. Fortunately, he has two formidable allies: Queen Isabella and his wife, Kit. England late in 1323 is a place afflicted by fear. Now that the king’s greatest traitor, Roger Mortimer, has managed to evade royal justice, the king and his beloved Despenser see dissidents and rebels everywhere – among Mortimer’s former men, but also in the queen, Isabella of France. Their suspicions are not unfounded. Tired of being relegated to the background by the king’s grasping favourite, Isabella has decided it is time to act – to safeguard her own position, but also that of her son, Edward of Windsor. As Adam de Guirande has pledged himself to Prince Edward he is automatically drawn into the queen’s plans – whether he likes it or not. Yet again, Kit and Adam are forced to take part in a complicated game of intrigue and politics. Yet again, they risk their lives – and that of those they hold dear – as the king and Mortimer face off. Once again, England is plunged into war – and this time it will not end until either Despenser or Mortimer is dead. Days of Sun and Glory is the second in Anna Belfrage’s series, The King’s Greatest Enemy, the story of a man torn apart by his loyalties to his lord, his king, and his wife.

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I didn’t think twice about picking up Anna Belfrage’s Days of Sun and Glory. I’ve read all of Blefrage’s other books and I enjoy her style and tone a great deal. I feel that her stories strike a nice balance between fact and fiction and the depth of her research shows an obvious passion for the history on which her work is based, but it is her representation of people that always stands out in my mind. As an author, she puts a lot of effort into illustrating individuals and the relationships they share with others and I think that brings something very special to her books.

Adam de Guirande is one half of Belfrage’s leading couple, but if I’m entirely honest, I enjoyed his arc more than any other. He suffers a crisis of divided loyalties and his sentiments and allegiances place both himself and his family in politically precarious positions. He is forced to make hard choices and his actions have rippling consequences that are most often shared by his wife, Kit. Maybe it’s just me, but I find something very authentic in that and I appreciate Belfrage for capturing it as she does on the page.

Isabella also stood out to me. I’ve seen Isabella of France portrayed many ways, but I feel that Belfrage’s interpretation really capitalizes on Isabella’s she-wolf reputation. The is a fundamental fire and innate ferocity in Isabella that sets her apart from other women in the narrative and while I appreciate the historical parallel this illustration creates, I love the idea that Isabella’s nature was as challenging for her allies and it was her enemies. Here again, I recognized a very realistic association and reveled in the genuine conflict it created within the fabric of the novel.

The last character I want to mention is Cassandra. She enjoys a smaller supporting role, but she intrigued me nonetheless. Like Isabella, she boasts an abundance of confidence and daring, but her application of those strengths lead her to a very different end and I thought that contrast incredibly interesting. That said, she is a remarkably self-serving creature without compunction of any kind and her lack of scruples makes her incredibly dangerous. She exemplifies a darker reality and I think there is a lot of merit in exploring those concepts and motivations as there is in emphasizing the good.

I don’t mean to downplay the historic context of the narrative as I feel Belfrage’s recreation of the political conflicts that plagued Edward II’s reign truly impressive. I simply appreciate the human qualities her characterizations bring that conflict and how her presentation and approach guides her readers through turmoil of the era. Her style gives depth and emotion to the dramatic power struggle and invites her audience to experience it in a truly unique way.

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“… with his jaw set, his eyes narrowed into piercing blue shards, her prince no longer looked like an untried youth – he looked like the future king he was destined to be. A king coerced into taking part in a venture he did not approve of, and someday those that forced him would pay. She crossed herself, praying that she would be nowhere close to either the queen or Lord Mortimer when that happened.” 

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Whispering Vines by Amy Schisler

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: March 31, 2016

When Alex O’Donnell’s world falls apart, she finds it hard to imagine that a door to a new world will open. Leaving everything she knows behind, Alex moves from her Baltimore apartment to a villa in Italy where she discovers the inherited vineyard she never knew existed and a life of possibilities beyond her hopes and dreams. Arriving at the villa, Alex is taken aback by the animosity and scorn of the vineyard’s co-owner, Nicolas Giordano. Resentful of Alex’s sudden appearance, Nicolas struggles to maintain his control over his business and his feelings for his new partner. The discovery of a journal from World War II becomes the tie that binds Alex and Nicolas as they work to secure their future while putting together the pieces of a puzzle from the past. Unlock the hidden secrets within the Whispering Vines.

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At first glance, Amy Schisler’s Whispering Vines looked like my kind of fiction. I’m a bit of a WWII junkie and jump at anything set during the conflict. I was not familiar with Schisler or her work, but the subject matter was too tempting to ignore so I set about procuring myself a copy. Unfortunately, the novel didn’t live up to my expectations and I ended up speed reading the bulk of the second half. 

By the end of the first chapter I was annoyed to discover the author tells more than she shows. Schisler attempts to develop her characters by throwing a barrage of facts at her readers and I found little of note in the way of world building. I found the author's treatment exceedingly superficial and as such, couldn’t get relate to her heroine or envision the world Alex inhabited. I also found the novel formulaic, predictable, and sickeningly saccharine. I respect that some readers really enjoy this type of sugary storytelling, but I readily admit that I am not among their number. At the end of the day, I am drawn to intensity, tension, and conflict, the like of which Whispering Vines simply did not afford. 

Historically speaking, I wish the author had done more with the material. I appreciated the detail Schisler incorporated into the text, but I think there was room to dig deeper into the subject matter on which the narrative was based. The mystery surrounding Robbiano’s Madonna and Child was interesting and plays to curiosities regarding the methodical theft and appropriation of art by German forces during WWII, but I felt Schisler played it safe in her representations.

I did enjoy the details Schisler used regarding vineyards and the business of wine making and I appreciated the use of a war era journal to venture into multiple story lines, but I’m can’t say the novel rivals Teresa Neumann’s Bianca's Vineyard or Trini Amador’s Gracianna and would have a hard time recommending it to other readers. 

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“Love is all that matters,” Signora said, turning back to the younger woman. “Life brings hardship, and pain, and more loss than you think you can survive, but in the end, love will carry you through the agony and restore the breath you need to keep living. You must have love, or you have nothing.”

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Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray by Dorothy Love

Rating: ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: March 30, 2016

A general’s wife and a slave girl forge a friendship that transcends race, culture, and the crucible of Civil War. Mary Anna Custis Lee is a great-granddaughter of Martha Washington, wife of Confederate General Robert E Lee, and heiress to Virginia’s storied Arlington house and General Washington’s personal belongings. Born in bondage at Arlington, Selina Norris Gray learns to read and write in the schoolroom Mary and her mother keep for the slave children, and eventually becomes Mary’s housekeeper and confidante. As Mary’s health declines, Selina becomes her personal maid, strengthening a bond that lasts until death parts them. Forced to flee Arlington at the start of the Civil War, Mary entrusts the keys to her beloved home to no one but Selina. When Union troops begin looting the house, it is Selina who confronts their commander and saves many of its historic treasures. In a story spanning crude slave quarters, sunny schoolrooms, stately wedding parlors, and cramped birthing rooms, novelist Dorothy Love amplifies the astonishing true-life account of an extraordinary alliance and casts fresh light on the tumultuous years leading up to and through the wrenching battle for a nation’s soul. A classic American tale, Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray is the first novel to chronicle this beautiful fifty-year friendship forged at the crossroads of America’s journey from enslavement to emancipation.

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Stereogram believed to be Selina Gray and
a portrait of a young Mary Custis Lee

I was introduced to the story of Mary Lee and Selina Gray when I was twenty-three years old. I was visiting Washington D.C. and after watching the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, I wandered over to Arlington House. It wasn’t a planned stop, but it proved profound. Lee’s mistreatment at the hands of the federal government and Gray’s audacious effort to preserve her mistress’ inheritance struck a chord with me and I wondered if there was any chance it had inspired a novel. At the time the answer was no, but Dorothy Love’s latest release, Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Gray, appeared to fill the void. I eagerly set about procuring a copy, but the reality of experiencing the novel left me bitterly disappointed and unsatisfied.

The narrative is meant to chronicle the friendship between Lee and Gray, but their connection never jumped from the page. Love’s Lee is consumed with thoughts of her family, her husband and her children. Gray, by comparison, is more interested in the persecution of the black community and the meaning of freedom. Both women champion a worthy cause, but neither journey compliments the other which only served to divide them over the course of the narrative. At the end of the day, I felt Love’s incarnation of Lee viewed her slaves with universal affection and that the trust she placed in Gray was not based on confidence so much as limited convenience afforded her as she fled Arlington with her children. 

In looking back at the book, the cornerstone of Love's interpretation of the friendship is in fact Arlington, the home Lee and Gray shared despite social status and position. Unfortunately, Love completely misses this truth and virtually ignores the history of the home that housed and fostered the relationship between these women. There is little atmospheric description of the mansion or its grounds and absolutely no mention of the legalities imposed on it during the war. All things considered, the appropriation of the home by Union soldiers should have had a profound impact on Lee as the property owner and Gray as its custodian, but Love entirely omits these politics from her narrative. 

There is not a single reference to the law Congress passed in June 1862 which empowered commissioners to assess and collect taxes on property in ‘insurrectionary districts’ to raise funds for the war effort and legally punish those who’d sided with the Confederacy. These taxes had to be paid in person, but Lee, trapped behind enemy lines and suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, could not make the journey. In effort to obey the law, she sent her cousin, Philip R. Fendall, to pay the tax, but his effort was rebuffed and the federal government appropriated the estate. Arlington was put up for auction and purchased for a total of $26,800. The rape of Lee’s inheritance and the unjust treatment she suffered under a blatantly bias law should have impacted Lee’s half of Love’s story. The details also impact Gray as she championed the Lee family throughout the war, effectively pitting her against Washington itself, but Love’s narrative is silent on such details. This fact led me to question the extent of Love’s research for while I acknowledge that the details she presents are in keeping with the historic record, I am keenly aware that they are by no means complete. 

Key events, such General Lee’s decision to reject President Lincoln’s offer and join the southern cause, were casually referenced. I personally felt this light-handed treatment undermined the magnitude of such moments and openly questioned the author’s reasoning during my reading. The pacing of the narrative was also sluggish and I struggled to finish the story. The situational drama lacked intensity and tension and despite my interest in the historic material, I was often bored with the narrative. 

Bottom line, I did not appreciate the time I spend with this piece and would have great difficulty recommending it to fellow readers.

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To be a woman was to be under the absolute control of fathers, husbands, sons, brothers, or uncles, powerless to manage one’s own money or to make decisions about anything. Of course it wasn’t the same as slavery, but womanhood was its own kind of bondage.

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Hanging Mary by Susan Higginbotham

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley/HNS

Read: March 10, 2016

Meet Mary Surratt, the woman who could have saved Lincoln. Find out what stopped her in this vivid reimagining of Lincoln's assassination. In 1864 Washington, one has to be careful with talk of secession. Better to speak only when in the company of the trustworthy, like Mrs. Surratt. A widow who runs a small boarding house, Mary Surratt isn't half as committed to the cause as her son, Johnny. If he's not escorting veiled spies, he's inviting home men like John Wilkes Booth, the actor who is even more charming in person than he is on the stage. But when President Lincoln is killed, the question of what Mary knew becomes more important than anything else. Based on the true history of Mary Surratt, Hanging Mary reveals the untold story of those on the other side of the assassin's gun.

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Mary Surratt

I’ve been wanting someone to fictionalize Mary Surratt’s life since watching Robert Redford’s The Conspirator. The movie was inspired by Kate Larson’s The Assassin's Accomplice and though I’ve not read the book, the film made me think about Mary’s situation in an entirely new light. I’d known the history, but where I’d often speculated the question of Mary’s guilt, I’d rarely considered her character and personality. Could there be more to her? How did she view her circumstances? Did she believe her gender would shield her from the noose?

It took years, but author Susan Higginbotham stumbled over the story and accepted the challenge. An ARC of her book, Hanging Mary, found its way to me at the Historical Novel Society Conference in Denver last year and I added it to my short list of must reads for 2016 this past January. Reviews have been largely favorable and while I find I agree much of what has been stated in the four and five star commentary, I admit my personal experience and reflections fall in the more moderate three star range.

First and foremost, I have to admit to struggling with Higginbotham’s style. Please forgive my blunt statement, but I found the pacing of the novel insufferably slow. Hanging Mary is the first Higginbotham novel I’ve had opportunity to read so I am unsure if it is indicative of her particular approach, but I am adamant in that it did not work for me this time around. I felt the novel found its feet and picked up in the latter chapters, but by that point, I felt it was too little, too late. 

In looking at Mary, I again beg pardon, but I feel Higginbotham missed the mark in her characterization. I might be alone in this, but Mary struck me as rather detached and frequently seemed to act as a place holder in her own story. She goes through the motions, hitting her marks in accordance with the historic record, but most of her chapters are dedicated to recounting her son’s movements, establishing character relationships, and providing exposition. As a reader, I desperately wanted to get inside Mary’s head, but Higginbotham’s portrait lacked the depth I craved, struck me as superficial and left me decidedly unsatisfied. 

The premise set forth in the jacket description pushes Mary and her history, but it says nothing about second narrator Nora Fitzpatrick. If you’re scratching your head, don’t worry, I did the same thing and had to do a little background reading to learn that Nora was one of Mary’s boarders. Records suggest Nora was close to both Mary and Anna Surratt and indicate that she testified for both sides during the trial that followed Lincoln’s assassination. As a fictional character, I felt Nora interesting, sympathetic and well-rounded, but I was frustrated that she eclipsed the novel’s headliners so completely. As a Unionist, Nora was a safe and uncontroversial choice and perhaps that made her easier to write, but I found it impossible to ignore the depth and dimension in her make-up. Higginbotham is obviously talented, but in comparing narrator to narrator, I couldn’t help wondering if Mary’s historical significance and notoriety stifled the author’s creativity when it came time to set her vision to paper. 

Would I recommend the title? Certainly. It didn’t live up to my expectations, but there is no denying its virtues. Anna Surratt enjoys a supporting role, but she exhibits the sort of intrigue that taunts the imagination and leaves you wanting more. Higginbotham’s characterization of Booth was equally captivating and I quite enjoyed the wealth of historic detail the author slipped into the backdrop of the novel. Yes, I felt the narrators were unevenly matched and yes, I struggled with the pacing, but in terms of content Hanging Mary is both genuine and illuminating. 

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War is men’s business, I had always believed, but on the day Lincoln was inaugurated, my oldest son, Isaac, rushed off the Texas and later joined the Confederate army, so it drew me in.

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The Royal Nanny by Karen Harper

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Obtained from: Edelweiss

Read: February 10, 2016

Based on a seldom-told true story, this novel is perfect for everyone who is fascinated by Britain’s royal family—a behind the scenes look into the nurseries of little princes and the foibles of big princes. April, 1897: A young nanny arrives at Sandringham, ancestral estate of the Duke and Duchess of York. She is excited, exhausted—and about to meet royalty... So begins the unforgettable story of Charlotte Bill, who would care for a generation of royals as their parents never could. Neither Charlotte—LaLa, as her charges dub her—nor anyone else can predict that eldest sons David and Bertie will each one day be king. LaLa knows only that these children, and the four who swiftly follow, need her steadfast loyalty and unconditional affection. But the greatest impact on Charlotte’s life is made by a mere bud on the family tree: a misunderstood soul who will one day be known as the Lost Prince. Young Prince John needs all of Lala’s love—the kind of love his parents won’t…or can’t... show him. From Britain’s old wealth to the glittering excesses of Tsarist Russia; from country cottages to royal yachts, and from nursery to ballroom, Charlotte Bill witnesses history. The Royal Nanny is a seamless blend of fact and fiction—an intensely intimate, yet epic tale spanning decades, continents, and divides that only love can cross.

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Charlotte Bill and Prince John

I requested a review copy of Karen Harper’s The Royal Nanny with half-hearted curiosity. I had a vague historic interest in George V and his family, but I can’t say I was chomping at the bit to experience a fictional account of Prince John and his beloved nurse, Charlotte Bill. In retrospect, this lack of enthusiasm is rather embarrassing as it represents a severe understatement of both author and subject matter, but it is something I gladly cop to in order to emphasize how profoundly impressed I was on completing the narrative. 

Harper’s pen bewitched my imagination in such a way that even now, weeks after completing The Royal Nanny, I find myself at a loss for words. I’m a picky reader and there are a few things I’d have loved to see Harper elaborate on over the course of this story, but those details are so insignificant that they don’t bear mentioning. At the end of the day, my wants stem from a desire for more time with certain members of Harper’s cast and I don’t feel it appropriate to criticize when the root cause of my comments is in fact adoration and praise. 

Charlotte proved a charmingly endearing heroine in my eyes. She isn’t particularly complex in terms of disposition and temperament, but her internal struggles and personal relationships are so intimately drawn that it’s hard not to be moved by her experiences. There is an authenticity in her character that pulls at the heartstrings and despite knowing how events would unfold, I often found myself lost in both her joys and sorrows. Society has changed a lot in the last hundred years, but the intensely personal ramifications of her career choices felt relevant even by contemporary standards. Charlotte could not have everything she wanted in life and watching her accept that reality and find her own happiness despite that which life denied her was truly inspiring.

The children themselves added another layer of depth to novel. Harper took great care to depict each in a way that would complement their real life experiences and I loved how her attention to detail manifested itself through her adolescent cast. I often found myself exasperated with Edward, sympathetic toward Albert, and delighted with Mary. Henry and George play smaller roles, but the moments they share with Charlotte also hint at the trials their historical counterparts faced as adults. John’s relationship with Charlotte is different, but appropriately so. In many ways John was her child and I felt the shift seen in narrative as he grows fitting in light of the situation and circumstances of the life they shared. 

My favorite element of the story, however, was Chad. He wasn’t a character I’d anticipated and his role caught me entirely off guard. I worried about his relevance in the early chapters, but soon realized his importance and admire how Harper used him to round out and challenge Charlotte throughout the story. He’s the perfect counterbalance and I think he brings out something in Charlotte that is often overlooked when examining her legacy and involvement with the royal family. 

At the end of the day, I can’t recommend The Royal Nanny highly enough. Author Sandra Byrd dubbed it compulsively page-turning and I couldn’t agree more. It is a brilliant illuminating novel that affords exceptional insight to the world of Britain’s monarchs, their children, and their staff.  

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It seemed that these glorious ­people in their silks and satins and jewels glittered as much as the gifts and the tree. And to think, Mabel and Rose had both told me that more gifts would be given to the downstairs staff and estate workers in a week on New Year’s Day, another time for celebration and a party. But for me, among these glittering ­people who ruled the realm, a new year—­a new life—­had already begun.

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The Girl from the Savoy by Hazel Gaynor

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Edelweiss

Read: February 10, 2016

Dolly Lane is a dreamer; a downtrodden maid who longs to dance on the London stage, but her life has been fractured by the Great War. Memories of the soldier she loved, of secret shame and profound loss, by turns pull her back and spur her on to make a better life. When she finds employment as a chambermaid at London’s grandest hotel, The Savoy, Dolly takes a step closer to the glittering lives of the Bright Young Things who thrive on champagne, jazz and rebellion. Right now, she must exist on the fringes of power, wealth and glamor—she must remain invisible and unimportant. But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she responds to a struggling songwriter’s advertisement for a ‘muse’ and finds herself thrust into London’s exhilarating theatre scene and into the lives of celebrated actress, Loretta May, and her brother, Perry. Loretta and Perry may have the life Dolly aspires to, but they too are searching for something. Now, at the precipice of the life she has and the one she longs for, the girl from The Savoy must make difficult choices: between two men; between two classes, between everything she knows and everything she dreams of. A brighter future is tantalizingly close—but can a girl like Dolly ever truly leave her past behind?

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Hazel Gaynor is not a new author for me. I had the privilege of reading Hush, her contribution to Fall of Poppies: Stories of Love and the Great War in December 2015 and was so impressed with the piece that I made up my mind to read at least one of her full length titles during 2016. I own a copy of The Girl Who Came Home, but it was The Girl from the Savoy that I ultimately picked up. I wish I could say something intelligent about the subject matter piquing my interest and/or imagination, but the shameful reality is that I am cover slut and the volume has an absolutely gorgeous jacket.

Generally speaking, I liked the premise of Gaynor’s book, but the structure and format confused me. I felt protagonist Dorothy 'Dolly' Lane an intriguing young woman and I liked how her experience paralleled that of fellow narrator Loretta May. I felt their ties a little coincidental, but when push comes to shove fiction is chock full of such twists and there was nothing overtly annoying in the connection these women shared. I’d have been quite happy if the novel had centered on Dorothy and Loretta alone, but the inclusion of third narrator Teddy Cooper left me scratching my head. The character had enormous potential, but his role carries little weight alongside Gaynor’s leading ladies and while I enjoyed his scenes and the ideas they inspired, I couldn’t help feeling his perspective superfluous to the story at hand.

I felt Gaynor’s descriptions of life at the Savoy brilliantly imagined, but the hotel is not a character in and of itself. The comparison to Downtown Abbey is inevitable given the time period, Goodreads reviewer Sheena Lambert actually made it in her review, but I feel the television series only emphasizes what the novel lacks. The house is an integral part of the show and most of the drama is tied to the mansion, what it represents, and the lives lived within its walls. Gaynor’s Savoy is colorful, but it does not factor in the story the same way. It is one of many backdrops on which Dorothy’s story unfolds, but it is not fundamental to the drama of her experience which I found disappointing in light of the novel’s description.

In terms of pacing, I felt Gaynor spent too much time laying her groundwork. There are many inspired moments in the first two thirds of novel, but the narrative took so long to find its feet that I was bored by the time I really took interest in what was happening. The concept of life after loss, especially during the Great War held a lot of appeal for me and I thought the diversity of Gaynor’s illustration intensely creative, but its delayed delivery left me frustrated and only partially satisfied.

Would I recommend the novel? As usual, that answer depends on the reader. The Girl from the Savoy is an emotional piece and I think it touches on a lot of intense and deeply compelling themes, but I found it difficult to appreciate the style and tone of the narrative and offer caution to those readers who require instant gratification from their fictional experience.

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"By the time the war was over, my heart was broken, my dreams were shattered, my hopes were bruised. Without ever stepping onto a battlefield, I too was wounded."

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The Vatican Princess by C.W. Gortner

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: March 1, 2016

Glamorous and predatory, the Borgias became Italy’s most ruthless and powerful family, electrifying and terrorizing their 15th-century Renaissance world. To this day, Lucrezia Borgia is known as one of history’s most notorious villainesses, accused of incest and luring men to doom with her arsenal of poison. International bestselling author C.W. Gortner’s new novel delves beyond the myth to depict Lucrezia in her own voice, from her pampered childhood in the palaces of Rome to her ill-fated, scandalous arranged marriages and complex relationship with her adored father and her rival brothers—brutal Juan and enigmatic Cesare. This is the dramatic, untold story of a papal princess who came of age in an era of savage intrigue and unparalleled splendor, and whose courage led her to overcome the fate imposed on her by her Borgia blood.

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I didn’t set out to read C.W. Gortner’s The Vatican Princess because I love the Borgias. I appreciate their role in politics, but I’ve never been particularly enamored with their legendary drama. Truth be told, my interest in the novel was inspired by the author who penned it. Gortner’s books hold a treasured place in my personal library and I couldn’t resist adding another of his volumes to my collection.

Historically speaking, I’m accustomed to seeing Lucretia painted as a cold and calculating temptress, but the vulnerable and vibrant woman Gortner created within these pages bears little resemblance to traditional interpretation. She is introduced as a naïve innocent and I found the development of her personal and political awareness refreshingly thought-provoking. To the outside world she is an integral part of a frighteningly powerful family, but behind the scenes she is considered little more than a pawn to be bought, sold, traded, and used in her family’s ambitious and deadly machinations. As a reader, I sympathized with her character, fell in love with her tenacity, and adored the juxtaposition in how she ultimately wielded her own brand Borgia determination and strength against her oppressors. 

Speaking of antagonists, I was thoroughly impressed with Gortner’s range. Too often authors paint good and evil in simple opposition, but Lucretia’s adversaries are a diverse collection of serpents that challenge her both emotionally and physically. Gortner doesn’t hold back in his descriptions of Borgia brutality and I felt the approach, while graphic, created a necessary intensity in the fabric of the narrative. The material is shocking and uncomfortable, but the author’s handling of the subject matter produces a tangible tension and unsettling sense of menace in the minds of his audience. 

Gortner utilizes the lurid myths surrounding the family to his advantage, but historically speaking, he takes relatively few liberties. There are embellishments here and there, but I’ve no complaint regarding his deviations. He blend of fact and fiction is seamless and the changes he incorporated into the narrative only enhance the telling. 

A sympathetic portrait steeped in passionate political intrigue, The Vatican Princess stands as testament to both Gortner’s talent and vision. In redefining Lucretia his novel challenges long-standing standing perceptions and bring new dimension to the life she lived.

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“There can be no other reason. Infamy is no accident. It is a poison in our blood. It is the price of being a Borgia”

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Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Obtained from: Local Library

Read: March 4, 2016

Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets.Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war. As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. Yet not all promises can be kept. Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope.

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Generally speaking I turn to young adult lit when I’m in the mood for something light. I mean no offense in that admission, but the genre doesn’t satisfy my tastes the way it once did. This being the case, I seriously considered bypassing Ruta Sepetys’ Salt to the Sea altogether, but the truth of the matter is that the subject matter was simply too tempting to ignore.

The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff is a tragedy I’m very familiar with, but Sepetys’ work marks the first time I’ve seen it adapted to fiction. The disaster serves as the backdrop for the novel’s climax and I loved how the magnitude of event was emphasized by the individual experiences of Sepetys’ cast. The author’s incorporation of the mystery surrounding the Amber Room was also noteworthy, but it was her descriptions of Operation Hannibal that struck the most emotional chord. I read a lot of World War II fiction and genuinely feel the desperation Sepetys illustrated within these pages beyond compare.

Joana’s resolve and generous heart made her an intensely compelling heroine. Florian is flawed, but his tenacity and courage endear him to Sepetys’ audience from page one. Emilia, sweet and gentle Emilia carries a burden of memory and experience I’ve rarely seen in adult fiction and while I was both horrified and heartbroken over the revelation of her backstory, I feel the loss of innocence that defines her journey the most powerful arc of the narrative. I found Heinz, the shoe poet, singularly charming and felt Ingrid refreshingly inspired. Like many readers, I struggled to appreciate Alfred though I can’t decide if that because I felt his voice superfluous or because I pegged his story in the early chapters of the narrative.

In the author’s note, Sepetys states she was “… haunted by thoughts of helpless children and teenagers – innocent victims of border shifts, ethnic cleansings, and vengeful regimes. Hundreds of thousands of children were orphaned during World War II. Abandoned or separated from their families, they were forced to battle the beast of war on their own, left with an inheritance of heartache and responsibility for events they had no role in causing.” Sepetys novel is intense, painful, and at times, uncomfortable, but it truly reflects the horrors faced by children of the period and stands as a testament to the terror they endured and overcame.

Salt to the Sea is not an easy read, but it is a brutally powerful one that I highly recommend.

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“I unbuttoned my coat, enduring the freezing temperature in order to allow the bloodstains on my shirt to be visible. I had another stain of course. One that wasn’t visible. Sippenhaft. Blood guilt.” 

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Platinum Doll by Anne Girard

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 29, 2016

Set against the dazzling backdrop of Golden Age Hollywood, novelist Anne Girard tells the enchanting story of Jean Harlow, one of the most iconic stars in the history of film. It's the Roaring Twenties and seventeen-year-old Harlean Carpenter McGrew has run off to Beverly Hills. She's chasing a dream;to escape her small, Midwestern life and see her name in lights.In California, Harlean has everything a girl could want;a rich husband, glamorous parties, socialite friends;except an outlet for her talent. But everything changes when a dare pushes her to embrace her true ambition :to be an actress on the silver screen. With her timeless beauty and striking shade of platinum-blond hair, Harlean becomes Jean Harlow. And as she's thrust into the limelight, Jean learns that this new world of opportunity comes with its own set of burdens. Torn between her family and her passion to perform, Jean is forced to confront the difficult truth;that fame comes at a price, if only she's willing to pay it. Amid a glittering cast of ingenues and Hollywood titans: Clara Bow, Clark Gable, Laurel and Hardy, Howard Hughes, Platinum Doll introduces us to the star who would shine brighter than them all.

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Jean Harlow

My first experience with author Anne Girard took place in 2014 when I read Madame Picasso. The book impressed me and played a large part in prompting my interest in Platinum Doll. I knew next to nothing about Jean Harlow when offered an advanced reader’s edition of the book, but I love old Hollywood and knew I’d enjoyed Girard’s style of writing. Long story short, I accepted the offer and quickly lost myself in Girard’s interpretation of Jean’s story. 

The narrative itself follows Jean’s life from 1927 to 1932, covering the course of her marriage to Charles "Chuck" McGrew and the rise of her professional career. Girard emphasizes the tumultuous relationship of a young couple who don’t see eye to eye and a domineering mother who is hell bent on vicariously living her dreams through the success of her only child. Historically, I found the novel illuminating, but I feel the strength of the narrative is in Girard’s illustration of these relationships and the emotion turmoil they create in Jean.

Chuck was a hard character for me personally, but my struggle to appreciate him highlighted how realistically he’d been written. There is a painful authenticity to him, but at the end of the day I felt his character added much to the narrative. I found Mother Jean equally difficult and on more than one occasion I found myself wishing someone would slap her across the face, but even here, I felt Girard’s ability to manipulate my emotions spoke to her abilities as a storyteller. Last, but certainly not least, I found Jean both complex and endearing. Her personality is sweet and I felt the candid nature of Girard's illustration inviting. There is a certain ambiguity to her professional motivations, but I greatly appreciated her character just the same.  

Atmospherically I think the novel quite fun. Girard takes her readers into the offices of Howard Hughes, onto the back lots of MGM, and into the famed glamour of The Brown Derby. Several golden age and silent film star enjoy cameo roles in the narrative, but I felt the most notable were those minor scenes featuring Clark Gable. Unlike Harlow, I’ve studied the actor, and saw a spark in Girard’s rendering of his personality and persona.

When all is said and done, I feel the time I spent with this piece rewarding. Platinum Doll is a striking and poignant illustration of a remarkable young woman. An irresistible novel that effortlessly evokes the glamour and sophistication of Hollywood during its Golden Age. 

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Harlean wasn’t certain she could be any happier than she was at this moment, doing something she loved, with people she so admired. Life’s road was certainly full of twists and turns but she had really begun to enjoy the ride.

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The Confession of Richard Plantagenet by Dora Greenwell McChesney

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 5, 2016

England, 1471. The War of the Roses is raging and Richard Plantagenet must stand fast to support for the Yorkist throne. In pursuit of crushing of the Duke of Warwick’s rebellion, Edward IV and Richard stand side by side with their brother George once more, despite his earlier switch in allegiance. Following Warwick’s defeat, Richard meets his daughter, Anne, but as his standing increases and their relationship blossoms, his own family begins to falter. George’s dance with treachery resurfaces, and Edward grows frail with illness; Richard ends up in a position he did not expect, nor wish, to be in. Although made Lord Protector for his nephews, forces outside Richard’s control threaten to throw everything into jeopardy, and battle lines begin to be drawn as intrigues take over. Will Richard survive this turbulent time? Will he be able to make his own decisions or will those around him force his hand? Written in Plantagenet blood and rich with period detail, this is an arresting and complex tale of family and friendship, politics and betrayal, and love and loss. Traditionally portrayed as one of the great villains of British history, ‘The Confession of Richard Plantagenet’ is a sympathetic novel of the last king of the House of York. Set against the tumultuous second half of the Wars of the Roses, fact is seamlessly woven with fiction as the heroic Richard III is revealed. 

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Richard III

I haven’t read many novels featuring Richard III, but Dora Greenwell McChesney’s The Confession of Richard Plantagenet is the only sympathetic interpretation I’ve laid my hands on. Deserved or not, his legacy has been much maligned and few authors have sought to paint him in a sympathetic light which is why I was so captivated by the sensitivity and compassion set forth in the novel’s description. 

The book was originally published in 1913, but was re-released by Albion Press in late 2015. Does age matter? Well, that depends on what you are looking for. In terms of content, historic fiction is dated by definition, but McChesney’s style and prose is very different from what we see in mainstream publishing today. It isn’t bad by any means, but her language is distinctly formal and while I recognize the tone may be difficult for some, I personally felt her prose added to my experience of her work.

Historically speaking, my knowledge base is limited to the basics so I can’t say much in regard to how accurately the novel is written, but I can say that I found McChesney’s themes and her characterizations quite fascinating. She made me think about the material I liked how her book prompted deeper consideration even when I didn’t necessarily agree with the direction and/or angle she chose. 

The Confession of Richard Plantagenet is heavier historic fiction, but I’d definitely recommend it to anyone with an open mind and/or an appreciation for the Plantagenets. 

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‘Old friend and true servant,’ he said gravely, ‘thou didst know Richard of Gloucester well, and though he be dead and gone, somewhat of him liveth yet in Richard of England. Wilt thou take my pledged word that never by deed or word did I wittingly devise my nephews’ death?’ 

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Guardian of Paradise by W.E. Lawrence

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: December 17, 2015

In 1888, Kira Wall, surviving daughter of missionaries swept away in a tsunami, lives a primitive, but enjoyable life with natives on an isolated island in the South Pacific. But her serene world is turned upside down when an Australian merchant ship, commanded by the sinister Captain Darcy Coleman, arrives with an overabundance of modern and lavish goods. Kira suspects ill intent. Chief Ariki refuses to listen to Kira’s warning, forcing her to uncover the real plan of the captain on her own. Unfortunately, she has a distraction. A six-foot tall, blond, and handsome distraction. Trevor Marshall, doctor and botanist, hopes to find exotic plants on the island to research new cures and medicines. He is dedicated to science, but when meeting the strong-willed, beautiful Kira Wall, he’d prefer to spend time researching her—all night. The captain thwarts Kira’s attempts to call him out at every step, turning the village chief against her. With only Trevor and her best friend Malana by her side, she stalks the captain and his officers through the dense, predator infested jungle, toward the island’s inactive volcano. Frustrated by her failure to reveal the captain’s true intentions, Kira begins to think maybe she’s wrong about everything. Then an explosion and earthquake bigger than anyone on the island has ever seen renews her resolve. Was the blast natural or man-made? She is determined to prove it was the captain’s doing. Kira races against time and the island people’s naivety to stop the captain from destroying her home and killing everyone she loves.

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I owe my interest in W.E. Lawrence's Guardian of Paradise to the artist who designed the jacket. I'm well aware one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in today's market it is impossible to deny the importance of eye-catching imagery. Much as I loathe admitting it, I wouldn't have stopped long enough to read the description on Guardian of Paradise without the richly colored graphic that graces its cover and I admire the author for recognizing its marketing potential when self-publishing his work. 

Moving into the narrative itself, I have to admit that I found Lawrence's setting unique. His story unfolds on an isolated island in the South Pacific in the late eighteen hundreds. It's not a time and place that are paired often and I found the exotic nature of the island, its people, and their lifestyle easy to indulge in.

That said, I wasn't overly impressed with Lawrence's cast and couldn't help being bored with the author's generic character designs. Heroine, Kira Wall, is beautiful, intelligent, and genuinely good. Hero, Trevor Marshall, is handsome, astute, and kind. They are a golden couple who are ideally suited to one another, but they lack complexity, intrigue, and depth. They're stock characters and I found little to appreciate in the make-up.

The novel suffers pacing issues and I wasn't sold on historic elements of the plot. Guardian of Paradise is a romance, but I think it would have read more strongly if the author had invested more in both character development and period detail. 

Would I recommend the book? Yes and no. The book has its moments, but pales next to volumes like Alan Brennert's Molokaʻi. Guardian of Paradise is a lighter piece, the kind of thing I might take to the beach, but at the end of the day, I'd have difficulty suggesting it to hardcore fans of historic fiction.

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“You were right, Kira. God did not mean for us to live forever. But if we could, for me, that life would be a long time of misery unless you were part of it.”

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The Photographer's Wife by Suzanne Joinson

Rating: ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Netgalley

Read: January 5, 2016

In 1920s Jerusalem, eleven-year-old Prudence watches her architect father launch an ambitious (and crazy) plan to redesign the Holy City by importing English parks to the desert. He employs a British pilot, William Harrington, to take aerial photographs of the city, and soon Prue becomes uncomfortably aware of the attraction flaring between Harrington and Eleanora, the young English wife of a famous Jerusalem photographer. Palestine has been a surprisingly harmonious mix of British colonials, exiled Armenians, and Greek, Arab, and Jewish officials rubbing elbows, but there are simmers of trouble ahead. When Harrington learns that Eleanora's husband is part of an underground group intent on removing the British, a dangerous game begins. Years later, in 1937, Prue is an artist living a reclusive life by the sea when Harrington pays her a surprise visit. What he reveals unravels her world, and she must follow the threads that lead her back to secrets long-ago buried in Jerusalem. The Photographer's Wife is a powerful story of betrayal: between father and daughter, between husband and wife, and between nations and people, set in the complex period between the two world wars.

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I always hate admitting it, but I owe my interest in Suzanne Joinson’s The Photographer’s Wife to the cover artist who designed the jacket. I’d never read the author, I’d never even heard of her, but the vintage outfit stopped me dead in my tracks and I couldn’t resist reading the description at which point any and all restraint flew straight out the window. I requested a review copy from Bloomsbury USA, they approved my request and here I am.  

I know very little about 1920s Jerusalem and I’d hoped Joinson’s fiction would offer insight to city’s atmosphere and political landscape. Unfortunately, her descriptions never jumped from the page and I was never able to picture the world Joinson’s characters inhabited. On the upside though, I found the political dialogues fascinating and felt they went a long way in illustrating culture clash between Palestine and Britain.

Structurally, the book reminded me of Atonement. There is no ‘hit you like a ton of bricks’ moment at the end of the narrative, but much of what Prue witnesses as a child is only understood years later when she reflects on her experiences as an adult. I appreciate the idea, but Joinson’s execution didn’t work for me. I found the pacing tedious and I had little to no interest in the 1937 story line.

Joinson’s characterizations didn’t work for me either. I wasn’t intrigued by Prue, Eleanora, Charles, or Khaled. William had some interesting moments and I found his emotional struggle thought-provoking, but generally speaking, I couldn’t rouse much enthusiasm for the cast or the situations they faced. 

When all is said and done I would have a hard time recommending The Photographer’s Wife to other readers. I wanted to like it, but the descriptions and themes just didn’t appeal to my particular tastes. 

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I have never been able to determine the shifting sands of trust. I sometimes believe that we are designed to betray the people we love, just as sometimes we hand everything over, like a bright unclipped purse, or a secret part of our body, to a stranger.

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A Brother's Oath by Chris Thorndycroft

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Obtained from: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Read: January 17, 2016

Denmark, 444 A.D. Two brothers – the cold and calculating Hengest and the intrepid but headstrong Horsa – find their separate worlds thrown into turmoil by royal treachery and an evil cult thought long dead. Reunited by an oath sworn in their youth, they set off on a journey that will define their destiny and set them upon the path to greatness. When Hengest’s family is kidnapped by an unknown enemy, Horsa knows his oath has become more than a thing of words and he infiltrates the crew of one of the most feared raiders in the northern world to find out who took them. Meanwhile, Hengest struggles to unite his rag-tag group of followers into a united people. His heart yearns for a safe haven for his family; a land that he and his followers can call their own for generations to come. This is the first part of the thrilling saga of the two warriors who spearheaded the Anglo-Saxon migrations to Britain and whose names became legendary as the founders of the land that would one day be called England.

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Hengist and Horsa Landing in England

It isn't often that I receive offers to review books I know absolutely nothing about, but when I do, curiosity usually overcomes inhibition. Something about not knowing sinks into my subconscious and I can't help wondering what new insight the story might afford. Chris Thorndycroft's A Brother's Oath was one such book and threw myself into the narrative as soon as it was made available.

Based on the traditional tales of Hengist and Horsa, Thorndycroft takes his readers back in time to carefully examine the intricacies of a relationship tested by time, distance, and deceit. Rich in detail, the narrative sheds light on an intriguing period of English history. The writing is a light and engaging and while I wish the telling had incorporated more in terms of atmospheric detail, I few complaints over the story's structure. It's a heavily masculine tale, but I think the tone highly appropriate to the subject matter.

I certainly enjoyed the time I spent reading A Brother's Oath and would definitely recommend Thorndycroft's work to fans of both Vikings and The Last Kingdom.

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Passion surged within him, a passion and a lust for life that had been dampened by the cold winter. The shimmer of gold from the ancient sword and the news of his brother - whom he had not seen in twelve years - had rekindled a flame within his soul that was determined to burn free, oath or no.

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Check Out All the Stops on Chris Thorndycroft's A Brother's Oath Virtual Book Tour

Monday, January 18

Review at Flashlight Commentary

Tuesday, January 19

Interview at Flashlight Commentary

Spotlight at A Literary Vacation

Wednesday, January 20

Guest Post at The Writing Desk

Friday, January 22

Character Interview at Boom Baby Reviews

Saturday, January 23

Excerpt & Giveaway at Teddy Rose Book Reviews

Monday, January 25

Spotlight at CelticLady’s Reviews

Tuesday, January 26

Review at Book Nerd

Wednesday, January 27

Excerpt at Let Them Read Books

Friday, January 29

Spotlight & Giveaway at Passages to the Past